The Bubble Lounge (Highland Park & University Park Texas)
The Bubble Lounge Podcast is the only weekly podcast show for families living in Highland Park and University Park Texas. With over 290 episodes and 160,000+ listeners, we are the go-to source for all things in the neighborhood.
Hosted by Martha Jackson, the Bubble Lounge Podcast is a weekly show that covers a wide range of topics, from philanthropy, lifestyle, and fashion to health and wellness, relationships, and also current events.
The podcast is unique in that it provides a local focus, catering specifically to the women of Highland Park, Texas. The host brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the show, with Jackson being a marketing and public relations expert who has a deep love of her community.
For more information and sponsorship inquiries for The Bubble Lounge Podcast, visit https://www.bubblelounge.net
The Bubble Lounge (Highland Park & University Park Texas)
Transforming Lives at The Family Place with the Partners Card: A Conversation with Katy Brooks
This week I had the opportunity to talk with Katie Brooks, one of the co-chairs of this year's Partners Card supporting The Family Place. We discussed the impactful work done by The Family Place, a lifeline for victims of domestic violence since 1978.
What really struck me is how deep and wide the impact of The Family Place is. They don't just focus on women; they also offer resources for men and children, and even shelter for animals. They’re about supporting the entire family unit in getting back on their feet.
Mark your calendars for the Trailblazers Luncheon on October 10th at the Anatole, featuring the inspirational Brooke Shields as the speaker! Honoring Ryan Rogers of Mary Kay, this luncheon is a chance to learn more about the trailblazers making The Family Place a safe haven for families in need.
Partners Card kicks off on October 27th! Enjoy a 20% discount at over 750 stores while making a real difference. There are several ways to purchase a Partners Card and contribute to this amazing cause, you can purchase one at https://www.familyplace.org/partners-card/home, look for community sellers in local stores and The Bubble Lounge Podcast will have a contest and two lucky winners will receive a Partners Card. It's a win-win, my friends. You get great deals and you're helping those in need.
This episode is sponsored by:
Kathy L Wall State Farm Agency Long Cove, Mother Modern Plumbing and SA Oral Surgeons
Please show your support for the show by visiting our amazing sponsors.
This episode sponsored by Cram Crew. Learn more at CramCrewcom. And Stuart Arango Oral Surgery. Learn more at SAOeralsurgeonscom. Welcome to the Bubble Lounge.
Speaker 1:I'm Martha Jackson and I'm sure you all have noticed the weather is starting to cool down. I mean, we had a cold front and it got all the way up to 85. So with that typically comes charity season. This is when all the charities start having their events. You start getting your invitations, you're seeing all the posts on social media, and one thing that we all love to support is the partner's card.
Speaker 1:Years ago, when I first moved to Dallas, my friends told me I had to get a partner's card. I really didn't know what it was, but I knew that I got a discount at some really amazing stores and, quite frankly, it was the way I got to know a lot of the new stores, because I was new to Dallas and didn't really know my way around and come to find out. Buying those cards supports a really amazing cause the Family Place, which supports families of domestic violence, helps get them into a safe place and back on their feet and provides a lot of resources for the victims. And joining me today is Katie Brooks, one of the three co-chairs of the partner's card this year and we're going to talk a lot about the history of the Family Place, all the good that it does, and how you can get a partner's card and save 20% off of some of the best stores in the Dallas area.
Speaker 1:Katie, thank you so much for joining me today. I'm so excited to be here. Thanks for having me. Well, so the partner's card is coming up and we all get so excited about that every year, but I feel like we don't all know what it's for and about the Family Place. So I want to talk about the history of the Family Place. How did it all start and what does it do?
Speaker 2:The Family Place is such a special place and it's been helping families since 1978 and they really help create a path for families to get out of the unsafe environment into a safe environment where they can now support their kids, have their own homes and feel safe, because oftentimes what happens in the domestic violence situations is the mom and the kids is separated from her family and they've lost communication with everyone that's really close to them. So the Family Place helps them reconnect with that family, gives them shelter, gives them all new toys, a place to go and really feel safe and then get on that path too. They can be self-sufficient as a family on their own.
Speaker 1:Well, what I read and I think is so interesting is one in three Texans have experienced abuse, whether it's psychological, physical, and that's really high.
Speaker 2:I know it really hits home when you hear that, because it could be someone that lives in your own neighborhood or someone that goes to your school, and that's what really connected me to the Family Place is. I went to Littorock Central in Arkansas and that's when I really realized how privileged I was and that I needed to give back and really help, because I saw my classmates. You know they didn't want to leave school, they wanted to sleep at the school, or you know we're just taking every meal that they could at the lunch line and when you see that, you're like okay, sometimes it can feel distant when you're talking about these charities, but this is happening right here in our own neighborhoods, in our own backyard, and the Family Place does a really good job of providing security and safety for these people that really need it. Well, that's so important.
Speaker 1:So I feel like most of the time, we think of women as the victims when it comes to abusive situations, but that's not necessarily true. Men can also be victims, and the Family Place has one of two shelters for men in the country.
Speaker 2:Absolutely right. You know, domestic violence doesn't discriminate and there are dads out there and the Family Place has provided a place for them to go and their kids and we actually. They even have shelter for animals, oh wow. Well, tell me more about Sally's house. Sally's house we actually just Sharon Cameron. We went into her last week and they have 46 beds and rooms and they even have a CDC.
Speaker 2:So for kids that are under five, they can get a special curriculum because sometimes it's not safe for them to go to school and you know you want the kids to have as much normalcy as possible, but sometimes that's just not what's provided.
Speaker 2:And they get all the meals, they new linens, just the way that these women welcome you, just in the way they treat these women and these families and men like family, and it's just, it's really inspiring to see the staff and the family place what they do for these families to help them get back on their feet. The playground has shade and there's a beautiful playground for them to go out and play and they've got the really nice wood toys and you know they get the pots and the pans, everything they need, from the kitchen, the bedroom to a space where they can take conference calls, they can go and interview for jobs and talk to other women. They have so much support. And when we're walking around, you see quotes and you see these women coming together and lifting each other up and you know why don't you do this or this? And the little kids are playing together and it just reminds you why you're doing it.
Speaker 1:Well, I mean, they just do so many wonderful things. They even help the kids with homework and they have mentors for the kids, which I think is just amazing. So important.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's great. The staff out there is the heart and the soul and the backbone of the family place. You know we're out there raising money and having fun, but they're in there changing these kids' lives and it's neat to be able to go out there and be their advocate so they can get their job done and get these families back on their feet.
Speaker 1:Well, it sounds like there's a lot of opportunities for people like us to volunteer. How do we get involved?
Speaker 2:Yes, you can volunteer with Partners Card or throughout any of the events of the year and you can volunteer to help with the family's place and their biggest thing that can really help is you can donate. You know they have drop spots all over the Metroplex and we're beginning to grow that shoes, appliances, toys you know gently use, that were loved, could be the next thing for the family.
Speaker 1:Well, that's so perfect, because we're all constantly cleaning out our closets and we have some really amazing things that maybe haven't been used that much. So where can people find where to donate?
Speaker 2:You can go to the Family Places website and they have several locations all over and you can schedule them to come to your house and pick up those items as well. People have a bunch of drop-up parties in the next couple of months, perfect.
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Speaker 2:this. Yes, it's going to be a great event. The honorary is Ryan Rogers, with Mary Kay and Trailblazers is such a great luncheon. Come with your friends and really hear more about what the family place is doing and the people that have really paved the path for the family place. It's an absolute blast. It's one of my favorite events of the year. Well, wow.
Speaker 1:I mean Brook Shields. She is such an inspiration. I watched an interview with her not too long ago and I think she's just the perfect person to advocate for the family place.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, she will. She'll be amazing. I saw her in a play in New York and can't wait to see her on October 10th. Okay, well, let's get to partners card.
Speaker 1:I'll get so excited when this two-week period comes up. Every year we know we get to save 20% off, but tell us a little bit more.
Speaker 2:Yes, so we will kick off partners card on October 27th and we have so many fun events running out throughout the week. We have more than 750 stores across the whole Metro Plaques and we're continuing to grow. Dallas, fort Worth, plano, collins County. It's a really neat because the whole community comes together and supports and there's not many fundraisers that do that. This is our 31st year and I'm Sharon. Cam and I were best friends and it's really fun to do this together and spread the word and go shopping.
Speaker 1:Well, we should mention that she's co-chairing this with Sharon Lee Clark and Cameron Westcott. I mean, wow, three ladies that are just like powerhouses in the charity world.
Speaker 2:We have a lot of fun together doing.
Speaker 1:I think that makes all the difference in the world. When you come together as a team of women like this, you can get so much done. There's just like so much power when we all come together and work together.
Speaker 2:Yes, and it's been fun to add new retailers and collab and find these other ways where we can kind of expand the network for the family place.
Speaker 1:Well, I've been buying this card for so many years and it's been so fun to see how much bigger that this book is getting, with so many retailers Like all the best companies are involved with this now. It's also so fun when you're at the mall or you're just out and about and you see the balloons that show you from the outside. This store participates.
Speaker 2:I think that's my kid's favorite part there. Let's go into the store with the red and purple balloons and it is fun and it's neat to see everyone get excited about that and it really does make a huge impact. And it's not too late for retailers to sign up. So if there's some stores out there, or entrepreneurs, or we'd love to get you involved in the Partners Card this year.
Speaker 1:Well, tell us how we can purchase one.
Speaker 2:You can purchase one at partnerscardorg or you can buy one from a community seller and that's just. Your local stores will have them and you can sign up and buy one right there, and we also have liaisons for the famous place and you can buy them through them. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I know there's always several friends of mine that are selling them, so it's pretty easy to get one. Yes, okay. So we're sitting here looking at the book right now Literally just went on sale the other day and there's so many amazing retailers in here Talk to us about some of the new ones.
Speaker 2:Yes, we're excited. Butagirl is new on here and they've got some cute bangles for the fall and football season. Diamonds direct and SA Asambore get some formal gowns. She has the most beautiful gowns. Everything is so hand-beated, you know. It's just all the toy stores. We've even got some restaurants in here going a little date night. I love to get all of my Christmas presents done during this time and just like get them to get them to start it's so wonderful to have that done before Thanksgiving.
Speaker 1:That's my goal every year, and so it looks like you have some pretty nice things for the men too.
Speaker 2:Yes, Peter Millar and also Tumi's on here. If you need some luggage or traveling for the man on the go, Very nice. You know, I've seen a lot of remodeling and people doing a lot of house stuff and I love how the list is growing. We had it's not even in here Adelere homes added on and Crane home if you wanted some wallpaper.
Speaker 1:So there's so many great businesses in here Like how could you not want to do this, especially because you can get your Christmas shopping done early? Tell me how much the card is so.
Speaker 2:A partner's card is $75 and it's about 20% off at most stores, and usually most of the stores don't do any exclusions.
Speaker 1:Oh, very nice. Well, I just happened to want to mention that we are going to be doing a giveaway for some partners card, so watch for a post for that and you might have a chance to win one. Well, katie, thank you so much for joining us today. I mean, it's been so nice to just kind of get a little bit more behind the scenes of what actually is happening when we buy the partners card.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much. It's been so fun talking to you and family place is the heart and soul and I just I love talking about any time.
Speaker 1:I can. Well, wonderful, and as always, I will include links so you guys can go to the website, purchase tickets, make donations, buy tickets to the luncheon anything you want to do to help out. That's been another episode of the Bubble Lounge. I'm Martha Jackson and we'll catch you next time. Number nine is the.
